Smith, a wealthy new york landowner and philanthropist, financed spooner so he could write the book. This view was advocated in contrast to that of william lloyd garrison who advocated opposing the constitution on the grounds that it supported slavery. In no treason, lysander spooner uses the above expression on practically every page. Lysander spooner on the unconstitutionality of slavery. Post office with his american letter mail company, which was forced out of business by the united states government. He argued that although the constitution granted congress the power to establish post offices and post roads, this only gave congress the authority to create a postal service, not to. The constitution of no authority mp3 embed for hosted blogs and item tags. Economic writings 0 copy quote if men were but to read the new testament with the same tone and emphasis, with which they do other books, and were to keep out of mind the idea of its being sacred, they would be disgusted with the credulity, and the want of intellect, reason and judgment, that is. If that principle be not the principle of the constitution, the fact should be known. Despite reaching the same conclusion, goodell later. A man is none the less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years. Dont blame the constitution for your loss of liberty tenth. The constitution of no authority by lysander spooner isbn. Tom discusses lysander spooner s argument that the constitution in fact binds no one, having been agreed to by no living person.
No treason is a composition of three essays, all written in 1867. It purports, at most, to be only a contract between persons living eighty years ago. And it does not so much as even purport to be a contract between persons now existing. The constitution of no authority by lysander spooner spooner argues in this radical essay that the constitution, which he frames as a legal contract, is not binding. Vi the constitution of no authority by lysander spooner. Oct 23, 2012 lysander spooner 18081887 is the american individualist anarchist and legal theorist known mainly for setting up a commercial post office in competition with the government and thereby being. At this point there is a footnote listing 34 states whose statute books spooner had examined, all of which had variations of this english statute. Spooner was one of the most fascinating figures in american history and a champion of individualism. Reading david gordon on the rothbard critique of the constitution, reminded me of the great lysander spooner remark concerning the document. It is true that the theory of our constitution is, that all. He practiced law in violation of state law and then successfully petitioned to change the law.
When the united states post office claimed a monopoly on firstclass mail. Lysander spooner was an american individualist anarchist, entrepreneur, political philosopher, abolitionist, supporter of the labor movement, and legal theorist of the nineteenth century. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Post office with his american letter mail company, which was forced out. Lysander spooner grew up on his fathers farm, worked as a school teacher, tutor, and bank teller, then learned the law while working in lawyers offices. Lysander spooner no treason vi the constitution of no authority 1870 the constitution has no inherent authority or obligation. If it be the principle of the constitution, the constitution itself should be at once overthrown. Spooner s a very interesting and important character in american history. Goodell agreed with lysander spooner that the constitution, properly understood, is antislavery. The constitution of no authority by spooner, lysander isbn. The constitution has no inherent authority or obligation. Considered as the act of the whole people, the adoption of the constitution was the merest farce and imposture, binding upon nobody. Jan 21, 2015 tom discusses lysander spooner s argument that the constitution in fact binds no one, having been agreed to by no living person.
Project gutenberg s an essay on the trial by jury, by lysander spooner this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. The american abolitionist, and pioneering individualist anarchist lysander spooner once wrote of the us constitution this much is certain that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. Learn the forgotten history of this unsung american hero. Lysander spooner books list of books by author lysander. Inasmuch as the constitution was never signed, nor agreed to, by anybody, as a contract, and therefore never bound anybody, and is now binding upon nobody. Hello select your address best sellers deals store help deals store help. The constitution not only binds nobody now, but it never did bind anybody.
In this lengthy essay, spooner argued that the constitution was a contract of government see social contract theory which had been irreparably violated during the war and was thus void. For those of us who understand that our current problems will require outside of the box thinking in order to solve them, lysander has already given us a template to work from with this book. He was an outspoken abolitionist, and wrote pamphlets attacking slavery which were read and appreciated by frederick douglass. The number who actually consented to the constitution of the united states, at the first, was very small. The lysander spooner reader lysander spooner, george h. Constitution could have no inherent, lasting authority, except as a contract between men, and that it only claims to be one between the people existing when it was written. Lysander spooner 19 january 1808 14 may 1887 was an american individualist anarchist, entrepreneur, political philosopher, abolitionist, supporter of the labor movement, and legal theorist of the nineteenth century. Spooners a very interesting and important character in american history. Lysander spooner but whether the constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. On those foundations, he makes his case that the us constitution and by universal extension, any other formal written document that aims to set up a compulsory central governmentcannot be morally or. Notwithstanding all the proclamations we have made to mankind, within the last ninety.
Constitutional law, relative to credit, currency, and banking 1843 the unconstitutionality of the laws of congress, prohibiting private mails 1844. In 1845shortly before spooner published the first part of the unconstitutionality of slaverygoodell defended this position in american constitutional law in its bearing upon american slavery. The more i read that admirable, invincible, and matchless argument, which lysander spooner has made to show the unconstitutionality of slavery, the more i am pleased with it. Legal theorist lysander spooner wrote this devastating critique of the u. In the clerks 01llce of the district court of the united states. On the part of the north, the war was carried on, not to liberate slaves, but by a government that had always perverted and violated the constitution, to keep the slaves in bondage. On those foundations, he makes his case that the us constitutionand by universal extension, any other formal written document that aims to set up a compulsory central governmentcannot be morally or. When the united states post office claimed a monopoly on firstclass mail, spooner opened a competing agency that forced the. Lysander spooner 18081887 is the american individualist anarchist and legal theorist known mainly for setting up a commercial post office in competition with the government and thereby being shut down.
Aug 16, 2002 i think it is fair to label the book and everything in it tin foil actually, the book is an argument by a prominent legal philosopher forwarding the notion that the constitution had been violated by the conduction of the war and the events in his wake. Lysander spooner 18081887 was a legal theorist, abolitionist, and radical individualist who started his own mail company in order to challenge the monopoly held by the us government. Although he was greatly respected by other abolitionists, spooner was a maverick abolitionist who belonged to. The constitution of no authority, vices are not crimes, natural.
He has heretofore written much, and could write much more, to prove that such is the truth. Lysander spooner 18081887 was one of the great individualists of his era. Lysander spooner books list of books by author lysander spooner. Suppose the united states government being authorized by the constitution, had. Quotations by lysander spooner, american philosopher, born january 19, 1808. Aug 24, 2011 although the author bills his work as the first fulllength work devoted to the ideas of lysander spooner, spooners writings are so extensive and comprehensive that some of his most important commentaries are not mentioned. The code of edward the confessor would not fill twenty pages of the statute book of massachusetts, and, says blackstone, seems to have been no more than a new edition, or fresh promulgation of alfreds code, or dome book, with such additions and improvements as the experience of a century and a half suggested. Lysander spooner has 72 books on goodreads with 4004 ratings.
Apr 18, 2009 lysander spooner is an obscure figure in american history. But whether the constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. Lysander spooner but whether the constitution really be. The project gutenberg ebook of an essay on the trial by jury. The collected works of lysander spooner 18081887 online. Anarchy and the government of god in antislavery thought 1973, one of the best books on abolitionism ever written, lewis perry said that lysander spooner was the leading authority for the view that slavery was illegal under the constitution.
Spooner argues in this radical essay that the constitution, which he frames as a. One, reminiscent of spooners famous no treason series, is the appendix to his 1852 book, trial by jury. The constitution of no authority, and works of lysander spooner, and more on. The greatest case for anarchist political philosophy ever written.
Know all men by these presents, that i, lysander spooner, of boston, in the. He wrote on the constitutionality of slavery, natural law, trial by jury, intellectual property, paper currency, and banking. Lysander spooner i have in the past written about the folly of constitution worship here and here. The collected works of lysander spooner 18341886, vol. No treason the constitution of no authority by lysander spooner.
Somewhere, sometime a person will open this book not knowing what to expect, but curious about a man with the curious name of lysander spooner. See free minds books, run by james peron, a longtime libertarian activist. Lysander spooner justified his business to the public in his 1844 pamphlet, the unconstitutionality of the laws of congress, prohibiting private mails. No treason the constitution of no authority spooner, lysander on. Important in the liberty, libertarian, and anarchist movements, lysander spooner was a champion of the labor movement, a member of the first international, and ran a private company in direct competition with the united states post office. While lysander spooner is a controversial figure his arguments are lucid whether one agrees with them or not.
Lysander spooner and the united states postal monopoly. By tracing the role of individual freedom in the rise and fall of civilizations, the book recentered the discussion of human history on its true subject. The lysander spooner reader lfb book by lysander spooner. He is so forgotten, in fact, that his voluminous collected works has remained out of print for many years.
Lysander spooner but whether the constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain that it has either authorized such a government. Spooner, a lawyer, starts no authority by examining its potential validity as a binding contract, pointing out that the u. An essay on the trial by jury online library of liberty. The unconstitutionality of slavery was a pamphlet by american abolitionist lysander spooner advocating the view that the u. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. I envy that reader, for that was me nearly twentyfive years ago when i encountered no treason. Buy a cheap copy of the lysander spooner reader lfb book by lysander spooner. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Website dedicated to the individualist anarchist lysander spooner. It has no authority or obligation at all, unless as a contract between man and man. Spooner issued three pamphlets carrying the title of no treason, numbered 1, ii, and vi. I think it is fair to label the book and everything in it tin foil actually, the book is an argument by a prominent legal philosopher forwarding the notion that the constitution had been violated by the conduction of the war and the events in his wake.
For reasons not necessary to be explained, the sixth is now published in advance ot the third, tourth and mh. See all books authored by lysander spooner, including no treason. The collected works of lysander spooner 18081887 lysander spooner 18081887 he wrote on the constitutionality of slavery, natural law, trial by jury, how binding was the authority of the us constitution over individuals, intellectual property, paper currency, and banking. Lysander spooner no treason the constitution of no.